Why stopping guitar lessons is a bad idea!

I would have to say that around 4 out 5 people who stop guitar lessons stop guitar completely despite the fact that most intend to continue playing and practicing. In a recent study on dieting in the USA they reported that people who are on a program with a coach are far more likely to lose weight than those without a coach. Why is this?

The answer is actually quite simple. We humans care more about what others think than what we think of ourselves and we don’t like to lose. We are social beings and if you look through the history of humans you will find this was a critical part of our survival. To increase your chances of success in anything find someone to be accountable to. When you have a coach you not only feel accountable but are accountable to someone whose own success depends on yours. A great coach knows how to maximize this fact to help you achieve results far beyond what you could achieve by yourself.

“But I don’t have time for lessons.”

One of the best pieces of advice I received was ‘You don’t have time for everything but you always have time for what really matters’ If you use the excuse of not having time now you will be using that same excuse in 6 months or a year from now. I strongly believe that anything that you’re passionate about cannot be put off. You must start today and commit to it long term. The fact is guitar lessons will actually save you time. Rather than spending years heading in the wrong direction, developing poor technique and habits or just generally being unfocused a teacher will put you on the right path and keep you there so that you reach your goals much sooner.

“Is guitar really a priority for you?”

My suggestion is simply to write down the things that are important to you and make time for them by eliminating things that are unimportant. To learn guitar you only need 30 minutes a day and to excel you need a coach. I know it’s not always easy finding the time but I do know that as mentioned above having a weekly lesson will push you to find the time.